Awakening
by adventuresinthecloset
Summary: Sealed away and put to sleep nearly 4000 years ago, Regina suddenly finds herself very awake and directly in her mother's warpath. Her father missing, her mother bent on destruction, and her sole ally the vampire hunter that found her in her tomb, Regina has no choice but to work with the organisation that's pledged to wipe "her kind" off the face of Nirn. (Skyrim AU)
1. Prologue A Crash Course

Prologue

So far my way of dealing with addressing unfamiliar terms and concepts has been awkward, at best. Hopefully clumping it all together here will cut down on author's notes and in-story info dumps. Below is a summary of Skyrim's politics, religions, races, geography, and anything else I think is important enough to be included.

Geography/Politics

The Province of Skyrim is part of the continent Tamriel. Think of Tamriel as North America and Skyrim as the United States. In Skyrim, there are 9 holds, similar to the 50 states. Each hold has a capital city, just like each state has a capital city.

The nine holds, their capitals, and brief descriptions:

Eastmarch - Windhelm (snowy coastal region)

Falkreath Hold - Falkreath (pine forests)

Haafingar - Solitude (marshy/coastal region)

Hjaalmarch - Morthal (marshy/snowy)

The Pale - Dawnstar (snowy coastal region)

The Reach - Markarth (mountainous, rocky, foggy)

The Rift - Riften (mild deciduous forest region; autumn-like weather)

Whiterun Hold - Whiterun (cold plains region)

Winterhold - Winterhold (snowy cliffs)

Each hold is run by a Jarl (think "governor"), who is loyal to a High King/ Queen (similar to U.S. president). The High King/ Queen is also a Jarl of one of the holds.

Inhabitants

Nords - Nords are the people of Skyrim. Generally have fair skin. Strong, usually warriors. Stereotypically suspicious of magic and outsiders (aka any race other than Nord). In this story, Emma, her parents, and Ruby are Nords. One of the human races.

Imperials - Imperials are from Cyrodiil, the seat of the Empire. It borders Skyrim on the south. Their appearance varies. They can be warriors but more often than not prefer diplomacy and reason. Good with money. I haven't found a role for Gold yet but I'm sure he'll be an Imperial if I do. Also a human race.

Bretons - Bretons are from High Rock, to the west of Skyrim. They're intelligent, magically inclined and are much shorter than the other races. Regina and Belle are Bretons. They're one of the human races, but actually if you go back far enough in history they come from a population of humans and elves that lived together so closely they eventually merged into one race, which explains their aptitude for magic.

Redguard - The Redguards are native to Hammerfell, to the southwest of Skyrim, and are the best warriors in Tamriel. Dark skin tones but hair color can vary. Also a human race. (I don't know much about this particular race sorry ;_;)

Dark Elves (Dunmeri) -

The Dark Elves (Dunmeri) are from Morrowind, to the east of Skyrim. Morrowind is mostly uninhabitable since a HUGE volcanic eruption 200 years ago and so there's a pretty sizable Dunmer population in the eastern end of Skyrim. Riften and Windhelm are probably the two cities with the most Dunmeri, but they're not always welcomed or treated well. In Windhelm, they're given low paying jobs and packed into one section of town called the Gray Quarter. Their skin color ranges from light gray, to dark gray, to bluish and their eyes are either black, red, or pink. They are an elven race (Mer).

Wood Elf (Bosmer) -

An elven race from Valenwood, which doesn't share a border with Skyrim. Skin is yellowish/beige, and hair color varies. Eyes are various shades of red or black. Very attuned to nature and wildlife, and can even influence random animals to fight for them. Not many in Skyrim from what I've seen.

High Elf (Altmer) -

Definitely one of the more controversial races in Skyrim. Extremely gifted in magic. Tall, with golden skin and eyes in various shades of green or yellow. Often hated by Nords because of the Thalmor, which was a group of Altmer who believed Mer, especially Altmer, were superior to Men and formed an empire, the Aldmeri Dominion, with the intent of getting the world back under Elven control and eventually eliminate Men altogether. A lot of the Nords of Skyrim don't care enough to differentiate between the Elven races, or even enough to realize that not all Altmer are Thalmor. Which, if I had to guess, is likely where most of the racial tension comes from. The more educated the Nord, the less likely it is for the Nord to be a vicious racist.

Orcs (Orsimer) -

Orsimeri come from a small mountain kingdom between Skyrim and Hammerfell. Their skin is green, and their eyes can be various shades of brown, green, yellow, black, or red. In Skyrim they mostly live in strongholds far from the cities. A few live inside cities and towns as miners and blacksmiths. Mostly though they prefer to stay separate.

Khajiit -

Khajiit are one of the Beast races, meaning they're not Man or Mer. They're from Elsweyr, which also doesn't share any borders with Skyrim. The Khajiit are basically cat people, although I think they used to be an elven race and were changed into cats by one of their gods? Honestly I'm not sure, some of the history can get weird and complicated and I've only been in this fandom for less than a year... The Khajiit are mostly in Skyrim as traveling merchants, thieves, and smugglers. They aren't allowed inside the cities because of the more negative stereotypes.

Argonians -

Argonians are the second Beast race. They're reptilian people, and they come from Black Marsh which is mostly swamp. They live mostly in Riften and Windhelm, but while they live and work inside of Riften, they're not allowed inside of Windhelm's gates. They're there mostly as dock workers and live in cramped quarters near where they work.

Religion

The Empire recognizes 8 gods/goddesses, though technically there are 9.

Akatosh - god of time; chef deity of the 9 Divines

Arkay - god of the cycle of birth and death; has a temple (Hall of the Dead) in every city.

Dibella - goddess of women and beauty; has a temple in Markarth

Julianos - god of wisdom and logic, usually associated with magic

Kynareth (also called Kyne) - goddess of storms, the elements, air spirits; has a temple in Whiterun

Mara - goddess of love and compassion; has a temple in Riften

Stendarr - god of righteousness

Talos - god of war, governance, known as the Hero-God of Man; was once a mortal and ascended to godhood; his worship is outlawed by the empire; has a temple in Windhelm

Zenithar - god of wealth, labor, commerce and communication

Current Political Climate

SHITSTORM. Skyrim is officially part of the Cyrodiilic Empire. Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm believes Skyrim should be independent and so murdered the High King, starting a rebellion and sparking a civil war between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks.


	2. Dawnguard

**A/N- **Obviously this will have huge spoilers for the Dawnguard storyline from Skyrim... Other than that, here are a few definitions if you've never played the game.

**Solitude-** The capital city of Skyrim. Think of Skyrim as the U.S., and Solitude as Washington D.C.

**Stendarr- **One of the 9 Divines, or gods.

**Brazier- **Basically a bowl of charcoal or coal, used mostly for light. Not specific to Skyrim, but not really a commonly used word...

* * *

"You'll need to bring something warm, you know there'll be snow along the way," Emma's mother held out a cloak, which Emma eyed disdainfully; despite Skyrim's harsh, bitter climate, she generally tried to avoid cloaks when travelling. They only got in the way of her weapons and made her feel bulky and weighed down.

"I'll be fine," she said, mounting her horse. Snow held the rejected cloak tight against herself and sighed. She hadn't expected Emma to take it, but she always had to try. "I'll write when I get there." Her father stood a short distance away, near the stables, appearing aloof but Emma could see the pride hidden behind his carefully neutral face. He stepped forward and looked up at his daughter.

"Promise me you'll be careful," he said after hesitating for a moment. She nodded, and he returned the gesture. "Vampires are smart, Emma. They're smart, they're sneaky, and they're dangerous-" They'd had this talk already. Last night and at least once a month since she was old enough to listen. Vampires were smart, sneaky, and dangerous. Most of them were very old and knew the world in a way that someone as young as Emma- only 18 years old- never could. It was very important that she keep her wits about her, tread lightly, and never go into a fight alone. She knew his speech forward and back, but she listened anyway because she could tell from his shaking hands that he was terrified for her to leave.

"We should get back, David," Snow prompted, resting her hand on her husband's shoulder. "It's about time to feed the baby." They said goodbye, and as her horse carried her down the path, away from Solitude and her family, she resisted the urge to look back.

* * *

The trip there was long, cold, and quiet, giving Emma a lot of time to think about why she was doing this. Vampires were dangerous, and less of them in Skyrim could only be a good thing; if she could contribute to the thinning of the herd, great. But most of all it was for her parents. They always told her what their profession was before they settled down to have Emma, and though they never outright told her what to do, it was always heavily implied that she would follow in their footsteps. And now she was. She slowed down, her map spread out in front of her. She squinted at the worn ink, looking around herself for landmarks. Her mother had drawn a circle around the general area of Fort Dawnguard, but Dayspring Canyon wasn't marked, and neither Snow nor David could pinpoint it exactly. She knew it was on the other side of the mountain, and that the entrance looked just like any other cave entrance. She scoured the map, grimacing deeply, and was startled when her horse whickered and shuffled his hooves. She looked up; a timid looking young man emerged from the brush, his hands up in a harmless gesture.

"Sorry, I hope I didn't startle you," he said with a grin. Emma returned it, and she saw his eyes drift to her map. "Are you lost? Maybe I can help? I'm Agmaer." She doubted just anyone would know the location, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Emma. And, um... Dayspring Canyon?" she asked with a shrug. "Fort Dawnguard?" His eyes grew wide and excited.

"You're joining too?" he pointed down the path a bit. "I know where it is, it's not far-" He cut himself off and ran in the direction he had pointed. Emma followed, and amused herself trying to imagine this boy fighting vampires. He couldn't have been much older than herself, and seemed to be considerably less traveled. But his enthusiasm was infectious; her exhaustion from the trip faded and was replaced by excitement to meet the other hunters, go on adventures, to make her parents proud.

"It's sort of hidden," Agmaer veered off the path and started pushing aside the brush with his hands. "I think there used to be a nice entrance with braziers and such, but, well, it's been abandoned a lot of years. And now with the vampires so worked up about-oh, who knows what- I guess it's wise not to draw attention to it." Emma chuckled, dismounting her horse and stepping carefully off the path to help him search.

"The vampires are worked up about something?" she asked. Her parents must have left that out. She knew the attacks were becoming more frequent, but she thought that was just because there was more of them.

"Yes, haven't you noticed?" he looked at her increduously. "They've been attacking towns and there've been more sightings than ever on the roads. Most folk think it's just because they aren't getting enough to eat hiding out in caves and so they've taken to attacking outright, but my pa seems to think they're looking for something."

"Looking for something," Emma mused, intrigued. "Something important, or dangerous?" He shrugged.

"Hard telling," he said. "But I'm tired of sitting around on our farm waiting for the day they decide we're next. I'm done being afraid. All that's left now is to fight back." Emma found herself feeling unexpected admiration for the boy; maybe his reasons for being here were more noble than her own. In any case, they soon found the entrance, hidden behind thick, tall grass and brambles.

"Ah, I believe this is it," he announced, and pointed to a tipped brazier with ashes and coals spilling out into the grass. "See? Used to be a nice, fancy hole in the mountain. Now it's just... a hole in the mountain." Emma called for her horse, and together the three of them entered the canyon. It was narrow, with the surrounding mountains jutting steeply upwards on either side, but ahead it opened into a wider valley, and the path to the left opened even wider. As they turned the corner, the fort came into view. They both stopped short when they saw it.

"It's... bigger than I expected," Agmaer breathed. Emma silently nodded her agreement. When her parents mentioned Fort Dawnguard, she imagined one of the many smaller forts across Skyrim; this was more like a castle. She mentally compared it the all of the Jarl's palaces, and decided it was much, much larger. It only seemed to get bigger as they got closer.

"Where is everyone?" Agmaer wondered. "This place seems almost deserted." Emma scanned the towers, and her eyes stopped on a figure. He was standing on a platform near the top of one of the two towers, his arms crossed and, though she couldn't see his eyes, she assumed he was watching their approach. As she watched he turned and disppeared into a door. The winding path eventually led them to the front doors of the fort. A man in armor Emma had never seen before stood outside, watching.

"New recruits?" he asked with a sly smile. "Isran will decide if you've got what it takes. Go on, he's right inside." They exchanged a look and, with a deep, steadying breath, Emma pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside. It seemed they were interrupting an argument. Hushed, angry voices drifted across the empty circular room.

"You know why we're here, Isran" a hooded man was saying. "The Vigilants are under attack everywhere, the vampires are much more dangerous than we believed-" Emma recognized the hooded man as a Vigilant of Stendarr. From what she understood, they were a group of warriors who had pledged loyalty to Stendarr, one of the 8 gods of the Empire. She couldn't recall what exactly he was the god of- mercy, or compassion, something like that. In any case, the Vigilants were known for hunting daedra and daedra worshippers, werewolves, vampires and other abominations.

"So now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard?" the other man demanded. "I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that this fort was a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair. So now that you've stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?" The Vigilant grimaced.

"Keeper Carcette, the others..." he breathed deeply and wiped his face in frustration. "They're all dead. The Hall was attacked, they're all dead. You were right and we were wrong, isn't that enough for you?" Isran sighed and appeared to weigh his words before speaking.

"I... I never wanted any of this to happen," he said. "I tried to warn you... I am sorry." The Vigilant broke down into tears then, and Isran turned away uncomfortable. He eyed Emma, who had stepped forward awkwardly, unsure of whether to interrupt or not.

"Who are you?" he asked shortly. "What do you want?" She cleared her throat.

"I'm Emma," she told him, her voice only shaking a little. "I'm here to join the Dawnguard."

"Got a fire in your belly to kill vampires?" he asked with a chuckle. "Good for you. But look around; there isn't really much to join yet. I've only just started getting the order back together." Emma looked around; the room was largely empty, with only a few weapons lying around. There didn't seem to be anyone around other than the weeping Vigilant, Isran, her timid companion, and herself. "I'll need someone out in the field taking the fight to the abominations while we're getting the fort back into shape."

"I'll do that," Emma agreed eagerly. "Just tell me where to go."

"Tolan was just telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in," he gestured at the Vigilant, who swiped hastily at his eyes. "Seemed to think it had something to do with the recent rise in vampire activity. Tolan, tell her about... Dimcrypt, wasn't it?"

"Dimhollow Crypt," Tolan corrected, his voice gaining strength as he turned to Emma. "Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long lost vampire artifact. We didn't listen to him any more than we listened to Isran." Isran nodded to Emma.

"Good enough for me," he said darkly. "Go, see if you can find what the vampires are looking for. With any luck they'll still be there." Emma frowned.

"You want me to go a..alone?" she shrank under Isran's gaze.

"Look around, do you see anyone available to accompany you?" he gestured widely around the room. "Unless you've got a friend to take with you, you're on your own today." He picked up a crossbow and a quiver of bolts.

"Here, take this. It'll help you take them out before they can get close." Emma weighed the weapon in her hands, and turned to Agmaer. The moment she laid eyes on him, Isran also seemed to notice his presence.

"You there, boy," he snapped. "Stop skulking in the shadows, step up here. What's your name." He told him with much stammering and fidgeting.

"Can you accompany this young lady to Dimhollow Crypt?" Isran eyed the boy.

"I'll go alone," Emma spoke up. "It could be dangerous. I've spent lots of time in dungeons, I may have even gone up against vampires before. I just don't think you're ready yet." Agmaer shot her a look that was both grateful and apologetic, and Isran shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said, handing Agmaer a crossbow and pointing him towards a target across the room before looking back to Emma. "Be careful." And just like that, he sent her on her way.


	3. Awakening

The entrance to Dimhollow Crypt was anything but hidden. It gaped at the top of a set of crudely carved steps, lit torches on either side, and Emma thought that it was a wonder anything was hidden in such an obvious location. Of course, knowing the usual nature of dungeons in Skyrim, any number of traps, puzzles, locks, and monsters could stand between her and whatever the vampires were searching for, so she kept her guard up as she entered. Voices echoed from the chamber ahead. From the few words she could pick out she gathered that two more Vigilants had come in, one had been killed- but not before taking out two vampires- and the other, Adalvald, seemed to know more than he was letting on and so had been taken further into the cave. Emma sized up the situation; two vampires stood at the far side of the cavern, each scanning the entranceway for movement. Nearby, two creatures Emma had never seen before stalked back and forth. They were doglike, but instead of fur and flesh were made of what looked like pure black, rotten muscle, and they were constantly surrounded by clouds of black smoke. She weighed her options and ultimately decided to kill the dogs first. By the time the vampires were aware, she could have the dogs dead and her crossbow ready to take them out from afar. To her surprise, her plan went off perfectly- she was expecting something to go wrong, seeing as how she was entirely ignoring most of her father's advice at the moment- and she was able to open the gate at the far side of the cavern unimpeded. As she predicted, there were a great number of traps, puzzles, locks and monsters as she progressed through the cave. Tripwires, gates with hidden levers or switches, large spiders, and even more vampires slowed her down, but not enough to keep her from reaching the main chamber. The door opened to a platform, hidden from view of the rest of the very impressive room. There was no ceiling in sight, just blank darkness, and she wondered how far underground she was. Directly ahead, a set of stairs led down, to a platform from which angry voices were drifting.

"I won't tell you anything," a man panted as Emma crept forward. "My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any suffering you could inflict upon me." On either side of the stairs stood two statues of huge, slouching creatures. Shaking off the feeling that the eyes were unusually lifelike, she took shelter behind one and peeked out at the platform below; an elf and what was presumably a Nord stood over a Vigilant of Stendarr-most likely Adalvald- the Nord looming threateningly while the elf watched, though her attention mostly seemed to be on a huge, circular platform surrounded by arches behind her.

"I believe you, Vigilant," the Nord sneered. "And I don't think you even understand what you've found here. So go, and meet your beloved Stendarr." He held out his hand, and what looked like a thin red glowing thread stretched from his palm to the Vigilant's heart. Emma realized too late that this thread was draining Adalvald's life, and by the time she lifted her crossbow, his body had gone limp and the elf was fixing the other vampire with a disbelieving glare.

"Are you sure that was wise?" she demanded. "He still might have told us something. We haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with-"

"He knew nothing," the Nord snapped, pushing past her. The elf seemed excited that he was finally heading for the larger platform, and she followed him with a skip in her step. "He served his purpose by leading us here, and now it's up to us to bring Lady Cora the prize." Emma craned her neck, wanting to watch them more, but the arches impeded her view and she sighed to herself. If she killed the vampires now, she had no idea if she'd be able to uncover "the prize" herself. But, she supposed it would be safer for it to stay hidden than to fall into the hands of the vampires. During the time it took her to sneak across the bridge and get a good angle, the vampires were quiet, pacing around and around the platform, examing the ground. Now that she was closer, she could see that the platform was made up of a series of rings; a small pentagon inside of a circle in the middle, and a set of four progressively larger stone rings around it. Deep grooves stretched from each corner of the central pentagon, all the way to the outer ring. At different points along each of these lines was a brazier, each resting at the intersection of the line and a ring. In the center was a simple stone pedestal. The vampires largely ignored the pedestal in favor of the braziers. They examined them closely and even moved them along the grooves, but nothing happened. Finally, Emma grew impatient and discreetly disposed of the vampires, eager to examine the puzzle- and she was quite sure it was a puzzle- herself. The braziers were full of ashes, and most certainly hadn't been lit in a long, long time. She moved them around a bit, poked at the ashes and even tried striking a fire in one that had a few pieces of charcoal intact. Nothing moved or changed. Once her frustration started to take hold, she turned bitterly to the center of the platform and her eyes settled on the pedestal.

"Worth a try?" she muttered to herself as she approached it. The top of it was rounded with a small indent in the middle, and she wondered if it could be a button. So, she pushed it and immediatly wished she hadn't. Stinging pain shot through her hand as a long, sharp shard of glass actually came _through _the stone and punctured her palm. She jerked away before it could entirely impale her hand, but the motion dragged it along her palm and nearly tore it open. She cried out, backing away, but before she could get far a purple glow erupted from the cracks around the innermost ring, and along the entire length of one of the grooves. Still nursing her hand but intrigued by what seemed to be a big step in a good direction, Emma turned her attention to the brazier along the illuminated groove. The glow extended all the way to the inner crack of the outermost ring so, out of curiosity, she pushed the brazier to where the glow ended. The ashes inside ignited, and the glow extended along the crack, over to the next groove where it stopped at one of the inner rings. Following this pattern, Emma lit all of the braziers. For a moment she worried nothing was going to happen, but all at once the rings animated; the outermost ring stayed where it was, but the next lowered. Each in turn lowered a little more than the last until the platform resembled a bowl shape. The central pentagon, however, raised instead of lowered, and its sides were exposed as the rings fell away. When all of the pieces stopped moving, the rings acted as steps to the monolith in the middle. Despite knowing it could be incredibly dangerous to do so, Emma approached the monolith and gently laid her uninjured hand on one of its 5 sides. And to her surprise, it rumbled, shook, and slowly lowered into the crack. Emma blinked once, twice. Her mouth fell open and she watched, spellbound as a young woman, her eyes closed as gingerly as if she were sleeping, fell forward. Her arms, which had been folded across her chest shot forward just in time to catch herself. The moment Emma realized she was alive she knelt down, extending a hand to help her up. The woman took it hesitantly- Emma shivered at the icy touch- and turned her face up towards Emma. Her eyes slid open. Emma gasped, jerked her hand away, stood up. Fiery eyes glowed at her from the darkness. The woman didn't react. She still seemed to be in the process of waking up. She groaned, struggled to her feet.

"Who... where's..." the woman shook her head and her shaking voice strengthened. "Who sent you here?"

"Who were you expecting?" Emma asked, her hand resting discreetly on her crossbow.

"I suppose..." she considered for a moment. "Someone like me, at least."

"A vampire," Emma prompted. The woman nodded, absently brushing smoothing her black hair as she fixed her gaze on Emma.

"The Dawnguard would want me to kill you," Emma told her evenly. To her surprise the woman laughed.

"Not fond of vampires, are they?" she chuckled. "Look, kill me if you want, but if people are looking for me then there's something a _lot _bigger happening. I can help you find out what."

"How?"

"My family used to live on an island west of Solitude," the woman replied. "I would guess they still do. Can you take me to them?" Despite the overwhelming feeling that she should just kill her on the spot, she nodded. The woman mirrored Emma's gesture and smiled shyly, maybe sensing Emma's distrust.

"Good," she said in a quiet voice. "Thank you. I'm Regina, by the way. Pleased to meet you." Emma was careful to remain stoic as she told Regina her own name, and she didn't shoulder her crossbow as they made their way back to where Emma had come in. She groaned in frustration, because the doorway she'd come through was now closed and locked. It wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she pushed. She sighed, leaning back against it and catching Regina's eye.

"Any idea how to get out of here?" she asked, and the other woman shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she admitted. "It looks like it's changed quite a bit since I was last here. Or, you know, awake here." Emma grimaced in frustration, forgetting for a moment that she was hurt and smacking the door with her injured palm. She swore loudly and Regina reached for Emma's hand. Emma tried to pull away but the other woman held it tightly.

"It was my tomb that did this to you," she said, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "Let me help." And Emma watched as the hand that wasn't holding hers produced a yellow, sparkling glow. Regina turned Emma's hand so that her bleeding palm was facing upwards, and made several slow passes over it with the ball of magic. Warmth replaced the pain and spread through the rest of her body as the magic closed the wound and erased the blood, and when it was over she had the uncomfortable feeling that she had just shared an intimate moment with this stranger. She cleared her throat, reluctantly withdrew her hand, and mumbled her thanks, to which Regina nodded.

"Now if we could just get out of here," she said as she pushed past the other woman. They crossed back over the circular platform and were pleased to see another platform, and a wide open door.

"I just hope there's a way out through th-" Shattering stone interrupted Regina as the two statues on either side of the door exploded, their rocky exterior crumbling away to expose skin like leather.

"What the hell are those?!" Emma demanded, sending a bolt into the creature barreling towards her before realizing it would be futile and instead drawing her sword and putting up her shield. It collided with the steel barricade, forcing her backwards, and nearby she heard Regina cry out.

"They're gargoyles," Regina snapped. "You've never seen one before?! Clearly whoever you're with sent their best!" Emma ignored the sass, deciding that being mauled by a statue was as good a reason as any to get sassy. She braced herself against her shield, keeping one eye on Regina. The vampire was keeping her distance from her attacker, but just barely; it seemed to be gaining on her, mostly unaffected by the many spells she blasted at it, and Emma wondered briefly how much of the vampires' plans hinged on this woman, and how many of the Dawnguard's troubles would disappear if Regina were to... But suddenly the gargoyle caught up to Regina, and a leathery, clawed hand swiped at her, knocking her backwards, and Emma felt a fire lighting in her gut. Without putting much thought into an escape plan, she darted in front of Regina and the gargoyle's next blow landed squarely on her already bent shield. The other statue followed shortly, and Emma struggled to recall the last time she truly feared for her life. But even as the gargoyles' claws literally drained her life force, she felt from behind a spreading warmth, and growing strength.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up, Emma," Regina called over the clanging metal and slashing claws. "Try to make it quick!" Biting back a sassy remark of her own, Emma did her best to "make it quick." Finally one of the statues staggered to its knees, and Emma quickly thrust her sword through its head. The other didn't last much longer. Emma fell, exhausted, gasping for air, and watched as Regina did the same. They were quiet for a while.

"You're hurt," Emma noted dully. Regina looked down, at the three claw marks across her chest.

"Not badly," she assured the other woman.

"Can you heal yourself?" Emma asked, and Regina shook her head.

"Healing spells and potions don't work on the undead," she explained, poking at the wound and wincing. "Don't worry, eventually the same magic that's kept me from decomposing for over 200 years will fix it." All at once Emma remembered who she was, and who she was talking to, and she hardened her face. If Isran saw her, no, if her _parents _saw her chatting with a vampire after saving that vampire's life...

"I wasn't worried," she snapped. "Just curious." Regina rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Very well," she said with sudden determination. "Come on, let's find a way out of here." Despite her shaking legs and depleted magic, Regina rose to her feet with very little effort and stalked on through the door. Emma followed shortly, her sword and ruined shield ready to defend Regina.


	4. Bloodline

**A/N - **More definitions...

**Slaughterfish- **Fish, that will slaughter anything in the water. Evil. Annoying.

**Elder Scroll-**Honestly, I'm not 100% clear on what they are, and neither is the game. From what I understand, they're extremely powerful, can be used to look forward or back in time, and can only be read by specially trained priests called "Moth Priests."

**Riften- **Another city. Near Fort Dawnguard.

* * *

The route out of Dimhollow Crypt was surprisingly direct, with very little trying to stop them. When they'd emerged into daylight, Regina nearly fell over in her haste to shield her eyes.

"You ok?" Emma asked, and Regina not so kindly reminded Emma that the sun and vampires were not on the best of terms. Emma's response was another eyeroll as she dug a hood out of her bag and handed it over.

"Thanks," but Regina's biting response was devoid of any real gratitude. They walked in silence for a while.

"That thing on your back-"

"It's an Elder Scroll, and it's mine." Emma stopped short.

"An Elder Scroll," she repeated and Regina, yards ahead now, stopped and looked back.

"Yes, an Elder Scroll," she repeated. Emma knew her mouth was gaping but she didn't care.

"But aren't they rare, and powerful?" she persisted. Regina turned and kept walking. Emma trailed behind, mouth still agape. "Why do you have one?"

"I'm sorry, I..." Regina's voice faltered. "It's all very complicated and I just... I don't know yet who I can trust."

"And why were you buried?" Emma was on a roll now. She felt she deserved some answers, seeing as how she dug this woman up, and saved her life- what, twice now? "And why do the vampires need the scroll?"

"Emma, please," Regina stopped suddenly and turned back. Emma was almost nose to nose with her, but she didn't dare back down now.

"I want answers."

"I... you're looking for answers that I don't know," Regina's voice wavered but never broke. "I need to get back to my family and maybe then I can get a better idea of where we all stand. Please just... Just trust me for a little while longer. Depending on who's around, I'll be safe there." Emma blinked, nodded. Regina took a step back, and they continued walking. The silence went unbroken for a while longer, until the sun found the horizon.

"What do you mean 'depending on who's there?'" Emma asked as the first snowflake fell on the path in front of her. "Someone you're hoping to avoid?"

"No," she replied, almost defensively. "It'll just be more... unpleasant to run into my mother." There was definitely something, likely something incredibly important, that Regina was keeping from her, but she wouldn't even know where to begin coaxing it out of her. Her father might try to capture Regina and scare the truth out of her, whereas her mother would be kind and gentle right up to the moment she put an arrow in her face... neither option appealed much to Emma, because although she had a foreboding feeling in her stomach, something about Regina seemed honest. Maybe she truly didn't know much about what was going on.

"There's the boat we used to use to go back and forth," Regina said, pointing at some point in the distance. Emma had to squint to see it through the wind and snow, but it was there. It was tiny, unstable, and tied to a broken dock.

"Is it... safe?"

"200 years ago, yes," Regina confessed, casting a dubious glance of her own at the boat. "Now... well, let's just row quickly and hope the slaughterfish don't take notice." The boat lasted quite well, and they arrived at the shore of the island unscathed. Emma gazed in awe at the huge stone castle before her.

"Why didn't you tell me it was so... huge?" Regina shrugged, watching Emma struggle to get out of the boat while still staring at the castle.

"I didn't want you to think I was one of those women who just sit in their castle all day," she crossed her arms sadly over her chest. "This place... It's not really _me_... I hope you can believe that."

"Sure, you don't sit around your castle all day," Emma teased, finally having managed to exit the boat. "Probably because you've been sitting around a crypt for, what, 400 years now?" It was meant as a joke, because Emma had suddenly realized that if she was going into a castle full of vampires alone it would be wise to be on decent terms with at least one of them, but to her horror Regina took it seriously.

"200 years," she corrected with a glare. "You think I enjoyed it in there? You think it was just a pleasant, two century long nap? Do you know how uncomfortable an _upright stone bed _is? And the nightmares- well besides, it's not like I was given a choice, my father-"

"Regina, relax, it was a joke," Emma interrupted. "A stupid, insensitive joke. Calm down." For a moment Emma thought she was going to protest, but instead she sighed, breathed deeply, and started up the stone walkway. Emma followed, somewhat uneasily. She thought again of her parents; she could almost feel her mother's pulse rising if she knew what her only daughter was doing on her first- technically second, as she'd stopped in Riften to sleep before going to Dimhollow- day of the job. And her father- no, her father would probably disown her on the spot. Her thoughts were racing. The water below looked awfully tempting, and so long as there were no slaughterfish around she could probably swim back to Skyrim before-

"Listen, before we go in there..." Regina interrupted Emma's frantic escape planning, and the look on her face when she turned around was just short of utter devestation.

"Are you ok?" Emma asked automatically, and Regina nodded, a hesitant smile tugging at her lips.

"I think so," her arms crossed almost defensively across her chest. "I wanted to thank you for trusting me but... After this, I'm going to go my own way for a while... I think." Emma nodded, but truthfully she was confused, and with every passing second felt worse about going inside. "I know your friends would want to kill everything in here. I'm hoping you can show more control than that. Once we're inside, just keep quiet for a bit. Let me take the lead." Again Emma nodded, and her bad feeling grew exponentially. As they approached the gated front doors, a voice called out excitedly and the gate slip upwards, exposing a small entryway to two wooden doors.

"After all these years, Lady Regina's back," a small hunched man muttered almost to himself as they passed. "Now that's something." Inside, an elf stood outside the doorway to a large, dimly lit dining hall. His eyes settled on Emma and he scowled.

"How dare you trespass here," he snarled, taking a menacing step forward, a red glow growing in his hand.

"Vingalmo, stop," Regina removed her hood and gently pushed Emma behind her. "She's with me. I invited her." The magic died in his hand, and his jaw went slack.

"Regina- is it really-" he interrupted himself to rush through the doorway, and he leaned over the balcony.

"My Lady, everyone!" he announced, almost giddily. "Regina has returned!" Emma could feel the shiver of excitement that ran through the room- and with it rose a murmer, curious and fervent.

"I guess they were expecting me?" Regina murmered to Emma with a smirk before squaring her shoulders and following the elf through the doorway. Emma, now decidedly terrified, followed. Two long tables ran the length of the walkway, occupied by at least 3 dozen vampires all feasting on- Emma felt a chill when she saw them- dead bodies of what were presumably the unfortunate citizens of Skyrim. Several of the black dogs she'd seen at Dimhollow Crypt laid at the feet of their masters; a few growled at Emma when she passed. One of them laid curled at the feet of the woman at the front of the room, who eyed Regina with an unplacable expression as they approached.

"My long lost daughter returns at last," her voice was just as ambiguous as her face. "I see you have my elder scroll." The woman's eyes, after looking at the daughter she hadn't seen in 200 years for all of five seconds, shifted to the scroll on Regina's back.

"All these years, and _that's_ how you greet me?" Regina asked, then softened. "Yes, I have the scroll."

"Of course I'm delighted to see you, dear," the older woman said with a quick smile. "Do I really have to say it?" Regina didn't respond, and she chuckled coldly, rushing forward to clasp Regina's arms. "Oh, if only your traitor father were here. I would let him watch this reunion before putting his head on a spike." Still Regina said nothing. The woman looked over her shoulder at Emma, and her eyes hardened.

"Now tell me, who is this stranger you've brought into our hall?" she asked, working hard to keep her smile in place. Regina stepped away from her mother and reached for Emma, placing a hand affectionately on her arm.

"This is my saviour, the one who freed me," she said. Emma felt the older woman's interest fully on her now, and it made her skin crawl in a way she'd never felt before. Her eyes didn't match the friendly face she was working so hard to keep.

"For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name."

"I'm Emma," Emma replied once Regina nodded encouragingly at her. "And you are?"

"I am Cora," she said grandly. "Lady of this court... By now, my daughter will have told you what we are?" Emma was strongly tempted to mention that the bodies on the table might have been a clue even if Regina _hadn't _told her, but being severely outnumbered kept her from making any upsetting comments.

"You're vampires," she said evenly. Cora smiled wider.

"Well, not just any vampires," she scoffed. "We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim. For centuries we lived here, far from the cares of the world. All that ended when my husband betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most." Again her eyes raked over the scroll. Regina kept her gaze firmly on the floor, her shoulders squared, as if braced for whatever her mother might say next.

"You've done me a great service," Cora seemed to shake herself, pulled the conversation back on track. "And of course you'll be rewarded. There is but one gift I can give that is equal in value to the elder scroll, and my daughter." There was a long pause. Emma waited, and Regina's shoulders tensed even more. "My blood. Take it and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again." Emma frowned, looked to Regina, but she only stared at the floor, clenching and unclenching her jaw.

"And if I refuse?" Emma asked cautiously. She heard Regina let out a deep, deep breath and could practically feel her muscles relax.

"Then you will be treated as prey, like all mortals," Cora said coldly. "I will spare your life this once, but you will be banished from this hall and shown no mercy should you return. Perhaps you still need convincing?" She spread her arms wide and her skin seemed to ripple. Her flesh, little by little turned from milky to a deep, rich gray, and her face stretched and widened and flattened until it resembled the gargoyles placed about the castle. She grew at least 4 feet in height, sprouted thick, black wings and her hands were replaced by what looked to be talons. All of it happened in less than ten seconds. Emma recoiled in horror and Regina's eyes closed, apparently unable to look at even the shadow of her mother's new form.

"This is the power that I offer," Cora snarled, her voice higher, thinner, but somehow more _threatening _than before. "Now make your choice." Regina lifted her eyes to Emma's, and without saying a word she seemed to be both apologizing and begging. Emma looked from Regina, to Cora, to the scroll. For what felt like the billionth time, she thought of her parents, and for what felt like the first time, made a decision she knew they would be proud of.

"No," she said simply.

"So be it," Cora growled, raising her arms. A blue spell grew in her palms, and crackled ominously as she spoke. "You are prey, like all mortals. I banish you." She released the spell; it shot forward and surrounded Emma in a blue, violent haze. She could barely see beyond it, but she could make out the shape of Regina's form walking away, before her vision went black and the sounds of the hall were replaced by waves lapping the shore.

* * *

It felt like someone had dropped Emma from the sky onto her knees outside the castle; her hands and knees sank into the loose gravel and the water washed over her feet as she waited for the blurriness around the edges of her vision to clear. Of course while she waited she berated herself, furiously and repeatedly for how stupid she was. What gave her the idea that she could trust some sleepy, beautiful vampire she dug up in a cave in the ass end of nowhere, she didn't know. She struggled to her feet and climbed into the boat. How she was going to explain to her parents- no, her parents never had to know. She could concont some story about how she'd swept through the cave and killed everything in her path, but not alone because she always promised her father she would never go into a fight alone. She could bring them the collar she'd taken from one of the dogs she'd killed, she could bring them some of the venom she'd taken from the spiders, and never even mention that she'd walked a vampire home and handed an _elder scroll _over to Lady Gargoyle, Queen of Cannibals- but Isran. Her blood ran cold and she stopped rowing for a moment. How to explain to Isran. She couldn't lie, could she? Not entirely, no, but there had to be a way to tell the truth while simultaneously making herself out to be considerably less idiotic than she actually was. She pounded the water with the oar in frustration, almost succeeding in capsizing herself.

"Go on, eat me," she snarled to the slaughterfish starting to gather. "When I get back to Fort Dawnguard Isran's going to do much worse than that. You'd be doing me a favor, in fact." In the end she opted not to volunteer as fish food, but by the time she got to shore she still was no closer to deciding what to tell Isran. Solitude was nearby, an hour's walk at the most. Cursing quietly to herself, she started on the path to Solitude.

* * *

**A/N** - Yes I giggled like an idiot when I typed the words "I invited her" and yes in the game Serana (Regina) actually used the word "saviour."


	5. A New Order

**A/U - **I am so, so sorry for the ever-changing indenting and paragraph spacing and every other weird inconsistency you may have seen. Using a tablet to edit documents on this website is probably the most painful, difficult thing I've ever had to do and at this point I'm haphazardly trying whatever I can to make it look presentable without having to even touch the documemt editor... I think I've got it figured out though, hopefully all of the formatting and spacing and stuff will be more consistent from now on.

"Emma, what are you doing home so soon?" Snow asked when the door to Proudspire Manor opened. "We weren't expecting you to visit in weeks at least. We thought you'd be so busy-"

"Well, my first assignment was nearby," Emma interrupted Snow with a hug. "I just finished up and thought I'd come by to, you know, say hi, and-"

"And eat all our food, and drink all our mead," Snow finished, but her smile never faded. "We already ate supper but there's some left over." While Snow busied herself with preparing Emma's supper, Emma frantically went over her story in her mind.

"Your father is at the shop, he should be home soon," Snow chirped as she worked. "The baby's asleep, the dog is at the alchemist's- she's fine, she's just got fleas- and... well listen to me. Nothing much has changed here, it's only been a few days. How about you? Anything exciting happen?" Emma told her mother the truth right up until the assignment.

"Nothing big, just a cave of vampires," she stirred her stew nervously, sure that Snow would see through the half-lie. "Agmaer and I took care of it, no problem."

"We're so proud of you, Emma," Snow grinned. "We were just talking last night about how smart you are, and so brave. We're so lucky to have a daughter that _values _our advice and-" the front door opened then and Snow excused herself to greet her husband. They both returned moments later; David rushed to Emma's chair to hug her tightly.

"Snow told me everything," he said. "We're so proud of you." Emma listened miserably, her disappointment in herself eating away at her. She didn't deserve this praise, this food, any of it.

"Thank you," she said to both of them, the next part sticking in her throat. "I... I did it all for you. I hope you don't mind but I think I'll go to bed now, it's been a long week." She slipped away to her room, leaving her food half eaten and her parents a little disappointed at their visit being cut short.

"Such a child," she muttered to herself, closing her bedroom door behind her and settling in to the chair by her bed. It all reminded her so strongly of the time she broke her mother's favorite bow when she was young. In reality, she'd dropped and stepped on it but when she returned home that evening she told Snow, with tears in her eyes and guilt in her heart, that a madman had run out of the woods, snatched it from her, and stomped on it. Her mother, all wide eyes and innocence, believed her story without question and even put out a bounty for him. Emma still had one of the wanted posters somewhere, probably crumbled up at the bottom of a chest or pressed in the pages of a book. "Wanted for assault on the child of Thanes David and Snow, and destruction of Thane Snow's property." Most of Haafingar had been in a frenzy, searching for a man that only existed in a little girl's imagination, and all she could do was watch helplessly as an innocent lie sent the hold into chaos. She had the feeling her present situation had the potential to be much, much worse. She didn't know how much time passed before sleep pulled at her eyelids, and when they closed completely she dreamt restlessly of elder scrolls, gargoyles, and fiery red eyes.

"I should have known they'd find us here," Isran said darkly as Emma approached. Three dead vampires lay in front of the doors of Fort Dawnguard, his smug look telling Emma that it hadn't been much of a fight. "That's what we get for openly recruiting; word gets around to potential vampire hunters _and _potential vampires. Anyway, Dimhollow. Any news? Did you find it? "

"I did," Emma said. "But I'm not sure which is the one they're actually looking for."

"Well, let's see them," he gestured at her bag. "You're sure that's it?"

"Well the problem," she continued with a grimace. "Is that I, ah, was not able to secure either one." She could almost feel Isran's blood boiling as his eyes slid closed.

"Do the vampires have either object?"

"Yes sir," Emma continued, bracing herself for the explosion. "They in fact have both, although one isn't exactly an object, but a woman-"

"And I suppose the woman walked off with the object."

"I... I don't know that 'walked off' really describes it-"

"And you _let_ her walk off with it."

"There were a lot of them, and one of me," Emma asserted. "If I had tried to capture the woman or the scroll I would have been killed for sure. I didn't get the scroll or the woman, but I can take you to them." Isran's scowl deepened.

"Scroll?" he demanded. "It was a scroll? What kind of scroll?" Emma hesitated, almost considered lying, but then sighed and turned her eyes downward.

"An elder scroll." Time seemed to stop. She could feel the Redguard's eyes on her, but she didn't dare look into them.

"The vampires have... an elder scroll." Not much else was said. He turned shortly and stormed back to the fort, saying a few quick words to the Orc standing nearby. When Isran disappeared into the fort, the Orc came over and told Emma that his assignment was now hers.

"Find some of Isran's old acquaintances to come help us," he spoke quickly and without flourish. "One is a Breton girl, smart as a whip. Her name's Belle. Last Isran knew she was somewhere in The Reach, researching The Dwemer. The other is a Nord, Ruby. Big fan of animals. Runs around the wilderness taming them. Ask around. Bring them here." The Orc walked away, following Isran inside while Emma tried to keep the new information straight. The Reach. If it was possible for a frown to be loud, Emma's certainly was at that moment. Traveling in The Reach meant dealing with Forsworn, earthquakes, stone beds and- ugh- Dwarven architecture. She decided right then that wherever Ruby was, she'd be retrieving her first.

"A bit early to start drinking, isn't it, Emma?" the Argonian innkeeper called across the inn when Emma entered. The Bee and Barb was crowded that afternoon, with what looked like every citizen of Riften sitting at tables, and some standing for lack of room.

"I'm not here for mead, Keerava," Emma said, sitting on the only vacant stool at the bar. "I'm here for sleep and information." Long trips were Emma's absolute least favorite thing; she was horrible at planning, and usually ended up arriving at her destinations at all sorts of odd hours, the most usual scenario being ready to sleep in the middle of the day. Keerava seemed to be thinking the same thing, and she hissed gently as she reached under the counter and handed Emma a bottle of mead.

"This one's on the house," she told Emma, uncorking it and setting a tankard next to it. "You can't keep doing this, look at yourself, you're exhausted! Just a few days ago you were in here talking about chasing vampires, now here you are again-"

"I'm fine," Emma interrupted, taking a long drink from the bottle before pouring the rest into the tankard. "This is important work. More important than a good night's sleep. I... I may have messed up my first assignment, and I think Isran just sent me on this one so I'd be out of his sight and he wouldn't be tempted to stab me in the face. Either way, I'm not going to mess this one up. Sleep be damned."

"I would argue, but I know how that would go," the Argonian chuckled, leaning on the counter. "So- scratch sleep. Still need information?"

"It's kind of a long shot, but I'm looking for a Nord," Emma tapped her foot anxiously as she spoke. "Her name is Ruby, she tames or hunts animals... Any idea where she might be?"

"Hmm, the only group I know of that deals with animals is the Companions in Whiterun," Keerava suggested after a moment. "There's a lot of hunters in Skyrim, and half of them don't come near the cities. I'm sorry, wish I could help more." Disappointed but not really surprised, Emma nodded and finished off her mead.

"Well... I guess I'm going to Whiterun," she stood up. Keerava reached out a scaly hand and tapped Emma's shoulder, telling her to wait. She dug 20 Septims out of her coin purse and handed them to Emma.

"Do me a favor," she snapped as she handed them over. "Take a carriage and get some sleep on the way there; you could use those bags under your eyes as extra storage."

She arrived to Whiterun well past sunset, but before midnight. When the carriage driver shook her awake, she thought for a moment she was still in her dream- asleep in an inn with some anonymous woman beside her, but she could dissect that later, after she found Ruby. She thanked the driver, apologized when he informed her that he'd been trying to wake her for the past 5 minutes, and started for the city gates. She had been to Whiterun many times in her life, more in the 3 years since her parents started letting her further from home than before. It was a long trip from Solitude, and the road passed through dangerous territory, but it was worth it to see Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace, from across the plains and know she'd soon be there. Once inside the gates, she headed straight for The Bannered Mare and had to supress a chuckle at the jokes Keerava would make about flitting from one bar to the next. The next morning she headed straight for Jorvaskrr, the mead hall of the Companions. The Companions were warriors, and the go-to problem-solvers for most people in Skyrim, and though Emma sometimes saw one or two of them around Skyrim, she'd never been inside Jorvaskrr. When she pushed the doors open, she was greeted with a brawl between a dark-haired Nord and a dark elf. The Nord, a tall, pretty girl seemed to be winning, but that didn't stop the gathered crowd from shouting encouragement to the elf. Ignoring the spectacle, Emma made a beeline for the only other person who wasn't interested in the mindless violence. Of course this person was also one of the more intimidating people in the room; long red hair, green face paint, armor that looked like it had been taken directly from an ancient warrior, a large sword at her hip, and- Emma nearly swallowed her own tongue when the woman looked up- shining, silver eyes.

"I don't recognize you," she set down her fork to focus her full attention on Emma. "Do you need assistance? Most people just send a courier, you know." The sounds of the fight faded and Emma had the uncomfortable suspicion that a lot of eyes were on her.

"I'm looking for someone," she said after clearing her throat and straightening her posture. "And I think she may be with you."

"Who?" the woman asked, her eyes narrowing as she leaned back in her chair.

"Her name is Ruby." Stoic, unreadable, the woman nodded slowly, considering.

"Someone's looking for me?" a voice piped up from behind. Emma turned towards the voice to see the girl who'd been fighting the elf approaching. As she walked she wiped the blood off her knuckles, but her face was all smiles.

"Red, I don't think-" the silver-eyed woman was cut off by an impatient sound from Ruby.

"You worry too much, Aela," she snapped, waving her hand dismissively. Then she nodded to Emma. "You're looking for me?"

"I am," she confirmed. "Isran needs your help." The girl's smile almost slipped.

"Isran, needs me?" she giggled- actually giggled- and shrugged. "Why would he need me? I thought he made it clear I was, what was it? 'Useless and distracting?'" Emma frowned.

"You didn't get along with him, I take it?"

"Oh I did, at one time," Ruby sat heavily next to Aela and reached for a tankard. "Until I realized he was just a mean, petty, miserable man. Anyway, I'm actually quite happy with the Companions. They respect me here. So, if you could kindly tell Isran I'm not interested..."

"It's really important," Emma pressed. Ruby ignored her in favor of picking some of the food off of Aela's plate. Emma leaned in and, in a whisper only Aela and Ruby could hear, continued. "The vampires have an elder scroll. We don't know what it's for, but it can't be good." Ruby froze, looked to Aela and back to Emma.

"I... ok, ok," she said. "This is bigger than Isran's ego, so... Where can I find him?" Emma told her, and agreed to meet her there in exactly one week. Plenty of time to find Belle, she hoped.


	6. A Lost Race

Emma's approach to The Reach was marked by the distant wild cries of the Forsworn. Their story was sort of jumbled and confused to Emma- she wasn't yet born when it all started, and was very, very young when it all settled down- but she knew that she sympathised with them. From what she'd gathered from her parents, the Forsworn were the native people of The Reach, but had been forced out of their homes by Nord settlers a long time ago- how long, she didn't know exactly. It wasn't until 20 years ago that they fought back and nearly succeeded. Ultimately, the rebellion was put down and those that were left took to living in the hills, attacking travelers and fighting for their ancestor's land the only way they could. She understood their cause, and even agreed with it, but she couldn't agree with the way they went about it. It seemed that every time she passed through Forsworn territory there were ransacked carts and terrified travelers who had been attacked and managed to escape. Emma herself ended up at odds with them at least once every trip, sometimes more. She hoped this would be one of the rare, peaceful trips. Finding Belle while simultaneously dodging Forsworn would be impossible unless she was given some idea of whe to start looking. Her only hope was that the people in Dragon Bridge, the little village she was approaching, might know something. As it turns out, someone who could have been Belle had been staying at the inn and was, at the moment, out in the hills digging up Dwarven artifacts. With only a vague idea of where to go, she started out in the direction she'd been pointed. Apparently the Breton was digging in the middle of nowhere, Emma thought as she plodded through thick grass, traversing hills and rivers before finally hearing a sign of human life. The rhythmic, slow clang of metal on metal grew louder as Emma approached a small stream, across which a young woman with a pickaxe stood over a rather impressive-looking piece of machinery, chipping away at the rock around the contraption. Ignoring the mudcrabs gathered just down the stream, Emma carefully crossed to the other bank and approached the woman.

"Are you Belle?" she asked; the girl turned, her pickaxe still raised as her eyes narrowed.

"Depends who's asking," she replied evenly.

"Isran needs your help." At the name, Belle lowered the axe and crossed her arms, eyeing Emma derisively.

"Isran needs my help, does he?" she chuckled. "Funny, when we parted ways all those years ago he didn't seem to need me. He was very clear about it, and not at all nice." Mentally berating Isran for his sub-par people skills, Emma groaned in exasperation.

"Ok, I get it," she started. "Isran's not a very nice person, he said some mean things to you in the past, but this is important."

"So is my work here," Belle said shortly. "Are you familiar with the Dwemer, miss...?"

"There's really no time for history lessons-"

"The Dwemer were an ancient race, far more technologically advanced than we are even today. This thing here-" Belle gestured at the mass of pipes behind her. "-is likely part of their irrigation system. Do you know how valuable it would be to understand how this works, how it was made? It could completely change the way we farm, the way we get drinking water, and imagine bathing-"

"Listen, I hate to interrupt," Emma broke in, and Belle frowned resentfully. "But this could be a matter of life or death for everyone in Skyrim, possibly the world."

"All right then, I'm listening."

"The vampires have an Elder Scroll."

"Oh dear. Well. Yes, I suppose that is a matter of life or death. What are they doing with it?"

"I don't know, I..." Emma paused, shrugged. "I didn't ask? But Isran is reforming the Dawnguard, and he seems to think you can help. Will you?"

"Of course," Belle sighed, patting the machine with a hint of regret. "I suppose this will still be here when we're done. Unless of course some other archaeologist finds it, or bandits disassemble it and sell its parts- oh, I can't bear the thought. Let's just go, before I change my mind." They started back to Dragon Bridge as the sun sank to the west. Emma cleared her throat.

"Did the Dwemer know much about Elder Scrolls?" she asked, and Belle nodded.

"Almost certainly," she agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if they used them as casually as we use lesser scrolls today."

"There aren't any Dwemer around anymore," Emma observed. "Where did they go?"

"No one knows. They just disappeared, all at once and no one has ever been able to explain why... But, I think it's worth noting that not only were they technologically advanced, they were also advanced in pretty much everything else. Including the arcane arts."

"Magic?" Emma suggested uncertainly.

"Exactly. They were great scholars, always pushing the limits of what mortals should be allowed to know. Maybe they pushed too far."

"Couldn't have been a disease, could it?" Emma was surprised to find herself genuinely interested in the conversation; she almost didn't notice when the rocky uneven ground turned to cobbled road. "Like a plague that wiped them all out."

"Oh, I doubt that," Belle replied. "Disease was almost a nonissue for them, what with their extensive knowledge of medicine and restoration magic- no, definitely not a disease."

"Maybe something to do with an Elder Scroll?" Emma asked and Belle genuinely seemed to consider it.

"Possibly," she said, her eyes focused on something far away. "I doubt we'll ever know for sure... So much progress, just wasted..." They reached Dragon Bridge then, and each went to sleep in their respective rooms in the inn, both with the lost potential of the Dwemer on their minds.

By morning Emma had forgotten her sudden and short-lived passion for Dwarven culture. Her interest was once again in the Dawnguard, the Elder Scroll, and Regina.

"There's a whole castle full of them near Solitude," Emma told Belle as they mounted their horses and started down the road. "Off the coast. They feast on human cattle, and their leader is a... horrible, cold woman, or at least she seems that way."

"You've been in a vampire clan's castle?" Belle demanded incredulously. "They captured you? How did you escape?" Emma hesitated.

"Oh, cunning and... dumb luck, mostly," she finally spluttered. "Lots of... lock picking... " Belle laughed, a genuine, trusting laugh that only made Emma feel worse about the whole situation.

"I think you just may be the bravest woman I've ever met." The rest of the trip was silent.

Ruby was waiting outside of Dayspring Canyon when Emma and Belle arrived that afternoon, her back to them, absently swatting the grass and bushes with the broad side of her sword. She looked up well before Emma would have expected her to be able to hear the horses' hooves, her sword's movement slowing and, when she saw Belle, stopping. Belle too reacted. She yanked the reigns, causing the horse to abruptly halt, snorting in protest as she clumsily dismounted and stood in the middle of the road, dumbstruck. Then, without warning, she tore off towards Ruby, covering the considerable distance in no time; Ruby practically threw her sword aside, her arms spread and braced for imapct. Emma watched, stunned, as Belle flung her arms around the Nord's shoulders and was lifted off her feet by said Nord. Feeling like she was intruding upon something extremely intimate, Emma rode up awkwardly. Of course it made sense that they knew each other, if they both used to work with Isran, but she hadn't expected their reunion to be quite so... emotional. Ruby had since placed Belle's feet back on the ground but neither had loosened their grip on the other, and Emma could distinctly hear Belle crying and Ruby whispering soothing nonsense. Finally Ruby aknowleded Emma.

"You didn't tell me you were bringing her too," she said, her eyes- the same silver as Aela's, Emma was suddenly aware- brimming with tears.

"I didn't realize you knew her."

"There'll be time to explain later," Belle suddenly lifted her head from Ruby's chest and stepped away reluctantly. "I'm sure Emma's told you why we're here." After Belle retrieved her horse, the three of them walked in silence through Dayspring Canyon.

"Stop!" Isran's voice commanded from above when they entered the fort. They did so, and looked up; Isran stood on an upper floor Emma hadn't noticed before, pulling a rope which moved a giant lens over the small window in the ceiling; the concentrated sunlight bore down on them. Isran seemed satisfied that their skin hadn't boiled- though, Emma recalled from her brief time with Regina, vampires' skin being physically harmed by sunlight was just a myth- and pulled the lens back out of the way.

"Can never be too careful," he growled, his voice amplified by the shape of the room. "Now then. I trust Emma has filled you in?" When Belle and Ruby nodded, he continued. "Good. Belle, I've set aside room for you to start working on that crossbow design you were so excited about. And Ruby, there's a room big enough for a troll pen in the back. You can start training them whenever you're ready." Emma couldn't suppress a chuckle at the thought of training trolls, and made a mental note to ask Ruby if he was serious. "In the meantime, Emma and I will get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here, asking for her by name."


	7. The Prophecy Explained

**A/N: **I'm sorry this is so short. It's been so long, I just wanted to upload SOMETHING.

Also I made a tiny mistake that doesn't majorly affect the story, but I don't want to spread misinformation. Regina was actually buried for something more like 3-4 thousand years, not 200. (thanks Kingdomalith for correcting me)

* * *

Emma climbed the stone steps, her heart pounding, and Isran led her to a short corridor at the end of which was a closed door. He said nothing as he pushed it open. Inside the small, dark room were weapons, torture instruments... and, tied to a chair, Regina. Their eyes connected instantly.

"This vampire showed up while you were gone," he said disdainfully. "I guess it's the one that 'walked off with' the Elder Scroll?" Emma was too busy sizing up the situation to do much more than nod hastily. It seemed that over all of it was a coating of dried blood, and the smell confirmed it. She fixed Isran with an interrogative glare, and he waved a hand dismissively.

"No, I didn't hurt it," he said. "That's all leftover from the bandits that were holed up here before us. I _should_ have put some of this stuff to use, but it said it's got something important to say to you. Thought I'd let you handle it." Emma nodded, drew her dagger, and Regina flinched.

"Don't worry," Emma told her, kneeling and reaching for the leather strips binding Regina's hands to the chair. "I'm just going to cut your restraints."

"No, keep it tied up," Isran snapped. Emma shot him a look.

"She's not an animal, Isran. She may be a vampire now, but she was human once." Isran didn't seem impressed. "Anyway, I thought you were going to let me handle it?"

"Hmmph, I haven't forgotten what happened the last time I let you handle something important," he grumbled. "Fine, untie it. But don't turn your back to it for even a second. It'll suck you dry before you even realize what's happening." Regina rolled her eyes, obviously irritated- and justifiably so, Emma thought.

"So... what are you doing here?" she asked once Regina's hands were free.

"Well, I'd rather _not_ be here, but I needed to talk to you," Regina rose unsteadily. Isran twitched towards his weapon, but Emma, without thinking, shot her hand out and stopped him. Realizing what she'd done, and seeing a quiet anger in his eyes, she swallowed hard, but stood her ground.

"Be civil, or let us talk _alone,_" she warned. He bristled indignantly, but moved his hand slowly away from his sword. He crossed his arms sullenly and took a step back.

"Go ahead," he said gruffly, glaring at Regina.

"It's about me, and the scroll," Regina continued. "And why I was buried. It's because of my mother. She's... well, you saw what she's like. Cruel, cold, disconnected from everytimg... She wasn't always like that. She came across a prophecy and just got lost in it. It... changed her."

"What kind of prophecy?" Emma prompted. Regina scoffed.

"It was pointless and vague, like all prophecies," she said. "The part she was most obsessed with said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That's what she wants- to control the sun, somehow." Emma and Isran exchanged glances, before looking back to Regina.

"My father and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop her," she continued. "She needed the scroll to find out how to control the sun; that's why my father buried me with it." Emma waited until she was sure Regina was done before speaking.

"So... why come here?"

"Where else would I go?" Regina retorted. "I'm a vampire, and a starved one at that. If I were to go within 100 feet of a city I would be dead for sure."

"And a fort full of vampire hunters is safer somehow?" Emma mused. "I don't understand- you took such a huge risk coming here-"

"I did, Emma," Regina interrupted. "Because something about _you _makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

"All right, we've heard what it has to say," Isran stepped forward. "Now... Is there any reason I shouldn't kill this bloodsucking fiend where it stands?"

"Because we need her help," Emma replied.

"Why, because of some story about prophecies, and controlling the sun? Do you actually believe that it's going to help us?"

"Why else would she risk her life coming here?"

"I don't know, maybe it's got a death wish. Maybe it's insane. I don't really care." He pulled his sword from its holster and stepped towards Regina.

"Stop!" Emma protested, grabbing his arm and holding it. "I believe her because I've seen first-hand her mother's obsession with the scroll. She couldn't keep her eyes off of it, she barely looked at Regina- it's obviously important. And I think Regina could really be of help to us. She knows the castle, she knows the vampires there. Is it a huge gamble? Maybe, but I think it's worth it."

"Fine," Isran snapped, wrenching his arm away from Emma and staring Regina down. "You can stay here, but don't think you're a guest because you're not. You're a resource. Don't make me regret this sudden _generosity,_ or your friend here will pay for it. You lay a finger on any one of my people and I'm holding Emma responsible." Regina offered a sarcastic smile laced with malice.

"Thank you for your kindness," she drawled. "I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling _hungry._ Now then, if we're all done being petty... Emma, I think in order to stop my mother, we'll need to know what the scroll says."

"Sounds good," Emma agreed. Noticing Regina and Isran's desolate expressions, her enthusiasm faltered. "It's not going to be as easy as it sounds, is it."

"Elder Scrolls are powerful," Isran explained. "They can't be read by just anyone- it takes years of preparation. There are people trained specifically for reading Elder Scrolls without being blinded or going insane. They're called Moth Priests, and most of them are in Cyrodiil."

"Right," Regina sighed. "So unless we take a trip down south, I'm not sure how this is going to work."

"If one was to be in Skyrim, though," Isran commented. "He'd be here for the College of Winterhold. The odds are slim, but it couldn't hurt to ask around a bit. If nothing else they'll know of some alternate way to read the scrolls." With a curt nod, he left Emma and Regina to steal awkward glances at each other.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," Emma broke the silence first. Regina grimaced.

"I'm truly sorry," she said earnestly. "Nearly 3,000 years away, I guess I just wanted to see if my family had... changed... while I was gone. I don't know, I had this crazy idea that mother had forgotten the prophecy and father had come back, and everything was back to the way it should be but... it was stupid of me."

"Not really," Emma offered. "It's not unreasonable to hope _something _changed after 3,000 years." Regina smiled shyly in response, and Emma returned it hesitantly.

"Well," she sighed after a brief silence, hoisting the scroll onto her back. "Guess I'm off to Winterhold." The unofficial goodbye hung unanswered, until Emma was nearly halfway down the stairs.

"Wait," Regina called, and Emma stopped, turning back to look up at Regina who was peering over the railing. "It's been so long since I've seen the College... I'd like to come with you." Emma shrugged.

"Yeah, ok..." she agreed, and waited for the other woman to catch up.


End file.
